Liberty snaps up Trinity Hill

Hawkes Bay winery Trinity Hill will move from Enotria to Liberty Wines on January 1.

Chairman and majority shareholder Robyn Wilson said it had been a difficult decision but that she believed Liberty would be a good fit for her winery.

She added: “Enotria have been selling Trinity Hill wines for more than 10 years and have done a great job for us.

“We have developed a close relationship with Alison Levett, Enotria’s chief executive, and with Eric Berneau, trading development director, and we appreciate how amicably the move is being handled.” She added that she would continue to source a number of Enotria wines for Bleeding Heart and The Don, the London restaurants she owns with her husband Robert.

But she said: “We have known David Gleave, Liberty Wines’ managing director, since the mid-eighties when he worked as a barman for us at the Bleeding Heart while studying for his MW, and we feel that Trinity Hill will slot quite nicely into Liberty Wines’ existing New Zealand portfolio. They are very enthusiastic about our Gimblett Gravels range and, like us, see a bright future in the UK for Hawkes Bay Syrah.”

Levett said: “It has been a pleasure working with Trinity Hill over the years and we wish them success with the move. As you can imagine we will be actively looking for a New Zealand producer to fill what can only be described as the big shoes left by Trinity Hill. Premium New Zealand remains high on our agenda.”

Gleave said: “We have a strong New Zealand portfolio, which is based very much on regional specialists, but one area where we’ve struggled to find the right producer is Hawkes Bay.

“Trinity Hill is a winery I’ve long admired, so I’m delighted that they will join the likes of Ata Rangi, Greywacke, Wild Earth, Kim Crawford, Tinpot Hut and others in our list.”

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